BARON CUVIER. 235 



of his own notes. " I had then an opportunity of 

 rendering great services to this country, which have 

 never been publicly declared, but which I should 

 be sorry should not one day be known to have 



emanated from me. R supported me in 



all the ameliorations we brought about in the 

 Council concerning the criminal laws, which 

 were prepared in the spirit of the times, but the 

 modifications which rendered those of the Pre- 

 votal Courts * almost inoffensive are due to me. 

 In the first place, judicial power was given to them, 

 not only over revolts, and attempts openly com- 

 mitted on the public peace, but over conspiracies 

 and attempts plotted in secret j and not only over 

 crimes which might take place after the law was 

 promulgated, but over all which had taken place 

 at any period whatever. It is very evident that 

 in a country like ours, where there are so many 

 men of all classes ever ready to follow the tor- 

 rent of the day, these two powers would have 

 transformed the Prevotal Courts into so many 

 revolutionary tribunals. Nevertheless, we did 

 not obtain any thing from the united Committees 



• The Prevotal Courts were created by the Bourbons, in 

 order to judge all public disturbances, and from whose 

 decisions there was no appeal. They in some sort assimi- 

 lated to our special commission. 



